Jul. 7, 2007 - Distracted

Every once in a while I remember that I have to plan for the upcoming school year.  My mind darts to the couple books I found at the Used Book Table at the spring convention.  I picked them up, said, "Oh yeah, this is a good one," and decided on the spot to use if for my daughter for the fall.  However, as quickly as I made that decision, I stashed it for the fall and promptly forgot that I had it.  So, every so often I look at my shelf to remind myself that some of my work for the fall is done....it just doesn't feel like it.

In the mean time, what occupies most of my time is preparing for my husband's return.  In about a week he gets on a plane that will take him away from the desert and the war.  How long after that before we see him is a mystery, but I think I can safely say that it won't be more than two weeks, possibly even one. 

So, my occupations are centered around avoiding stressers since I just can't handle them.  You'd think that with the light at the end of the tunnel and our home finally due to be returned to "normal" very soon, that stress would be lessened.  The opposite is true, however, and it just isn't so.  I can't handle much. 

So, school planning will happen in bits and spurts....

• 1 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Jun. 9, 2007 - Whada ya know

Well, well, I post my terminal post, go away on vacation, and come back to find that homeschoolblogger picked up the pace a little.  So, I'll give it another try.  See if we can't come up with a cooperative rally to make things work a little smoother. 

I'm back to reality for a week or so, and then I leave again for another week long trip.  There is a lot to do in the mean time.  Recover from the 2500 mile trip, wash all the laundry, refresh the fridge, catch up with friends, and pack for the next trip!  Whew...I'm tired already.  Wait, I'm just still tired from the last trip!!

So, I come home and discover that our church is going to officially begin an attempt to support homeschoolers.  We have a lot of homeschoolers in our church, and always have.  It's just never been an official policy to provide support.  Friday night, however, that will change.  Should be an interesting meeting! 

I certainly could use a little boost.........

• 4 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

May. 25, 2007 - Homeschoolblogger Frustration

Well, this has been nice and all, but it is hard to count on.

I don't know how many times I've come on here wanting to check in, comment on someone else's blog, make a short entry myself, and I can't.  The page doesn't load.  It's just slow and unreliable.  I'm not guaranteeing I'll get into a regular habit  here. 

I'll always be at my Wordpress blog.  For now it updates my husband's deployment, but soon, (less than two months I think!!!) it will just be life chronicling.  Maybe I don't need this blog.  And so soon after finally picking a cheerful template to look at. 

I'm not shutting it down, I'm just not making any promises.

In the mean time, off on my two week trip starting Monday...........

• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

May. 19, 2007 - Reclaiming Lost Ground

So, I met with a couple friends for the purpose of talking about our homeschooling.  We have been friends for oodles of years.  We go way back to when I started a support group in 1999.  That dissolved in 2005, but we are still, however, a network of friends, the three of us plus a handful of others.  Since we've all been in it for so long together, it stands to reason, then, that we all have high schoolers to tend to now.  Jacki has graduated 3 while I've graduated 1, and Mary plans to graduate the first of her 5 next year.  We agreed that we need to come up with a solid plan for accountability, not only between each other, but also how to require that with our kids.

We didn't really solve anything yesterday, but we did make headway.  If nothing else we encouraged each other in the fact that we aren't alone, and that we are smart enough to work together and find some solutions for success.  I will say that the information that I referenced in yesterday's post came up in a question that Jacki posed.  It was so cool to see how God prepared my mind and heart to talk to that actual reality that we are all finding ourselves in this very week.

One point that I came to again is that the biggest weakness with homeschoolers is satisfying deadlines.  While it is possible to complete a homeschool career with very relaxed approach to deadlines, this practice does absolutely nothing for their regard for deadlines in college or in life.  We do them a disservice if we don't set deadlines just for the sake of training them to work toward deadlines.  We know about deadlines because we pay bills and submit homeschool paperwork by certain calendar dates.  Our students, however, have little need for deadlines.  My children have had deadlines during TeenPact and, gasp, they actually have met them!!

Ok, maybe I should clarify.  Of course homeschool Mom's set deadlines.  We pick ourselves up after a period of distraction and get determined to do better.  But, do we keep the deadlines?  Do we set up consequences for the deadlines?  Do we enforce those consequences?

Confession
Hi, my name's Diane and I'm an organizer, project manager, administrative person, and I don't enforce deadlines with my children.

• 1 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

May. 18, 2007 - Reacclimating to Relaxed Homeschooling

Ok, the recent comment by SandBetweenMyToes really is making me think.  I will probably buy the book she just recommended and discusses here.

I will also pull my books by Mary Hood off of my bookcase and delve in again.  With one son graduated two years ago and still finding his way, and then two more high school sons plodding along, I'm feeling the pinch of peer pressure.  My peers, not theirs.

So without further ado, I'm off to take my daughter to a home school backstage ballet production of Alice in Wonderland, (for which I had her read the story from the library.) 

Off of my book case and into my tote will go either The Relaxed Home School, or The Joyful Home Schooler so that I can dig in for a refresher course.

• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link